The present invention relates to a cargo tray for a vehicle and, in particular, to a cargo tray which is independent of the vehicle, which slidably moves on the bed of the vehicle and may be completely slidably removed from the vehicle to be self supporting.
The use of pickup trucks, station wagons and vans as means of carrying cargo and for business and family use has greatly increased. Users of these vehicles have encountered problems in loading and unloading the vehicles due to the weight and size of some items and also due to the inaccessibility of initially loaded items which are behind or beneath later loaded items. The problem is further compounded in vehicles with caps having a comparatively low roof or cover over the cargo area. Pickup trucks with a tonneau (cover) produce particular problems where the user frequently must crawl onto the truck bed on hands and knees to load or unload items distal from the tailgate of the vehicle. The nature of the cargo such as five (5) gallon containers of liquids and other less easily handled containers are also problems, especially when there is a need to load or unload the item without disturbing the other items in the cargo.
In addition, it is very useful to be able to place the cargo on a tray or movable bed to facilitate loading and unloading of the cargo.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,852,303 to Hopson discloses a sliding unit mounted on rollers within tracks connected to the truck body. U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,695 to Zachrich discloses a pullout tray mounted in guide rails secured to the truck. The tray has an adjustable array of cleats dividing the tray into compartments. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,681,360 and 4,824,158 to Peters et al disclose a pair of support members arranged for mounting on the floor of a truck with a cargo box on rollers to roll on the support members. Chudick, U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,088 disclose a portable bed assembly for use with a vehicle. The bed assembly is mounted on rollers which ride on rails mounted on the deck of the vehicle. A locking mechanism maintains the assembly on the rails. The assembly, when unlocked, may be rolled partially outwardly and be supported by less. Domek et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,913 disclose a slidable carrying table which is carried by a base frame installed in hold down members on the floor of a vehicle. The carrying table can be slid onto, or off of, the base frame. U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,878, to Brockhaus discloses a retractable bed for a truck has two telescoping rail packs with a deck. The rail packs are mounted to the truck floor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,35 to Bergeron et al disclose supports connected to a vehicle and platform engaging the supports. The platform is movable to an extended position with movement limited to prevent separation of the platform from the supports. U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,335 to Russell discloses a table on rollers which reposes in a truck bed and has locking means to clamp the table to the sidewalls of the truck. The table has legs to support the table.
Although these patents are useful for the purposes intended, there still exists a need for a simple system which does not require modification of the vehicle and which enables a user to load a cargo tray, place it in the vehicle, have access while in the vehicle, remove the cargo tray and have it available separate from the vehicle. There is also a need for a cargo tray which provides accommodations for large bucket-type containers and which can be segmented to easily secure any configuration of cargo.